Theory of Financial Risk and Derivative Pricing
From Statistical Physics to Risk Management

This 2003 book summarizes theoretical developments in statistical tools to measure financial markets, for students and professionals in econophysics and analytical markets.

Jean-Philippe Bouchaud (Author), Marc Potters (Author)

9780521819169, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 December 2003

400 pages, 20 tables
25.4 x 17.8 x 2.2 cm, 0.91 kg

'It is rare to read a quantitative finance book that has anything new to say. It is even rarer to find such a book written by those who know what they are talking about. Bouchaud and Potters are two of the most innovative, imaginative and experienced researches in finance. In this second edition of their ground-breaking work, they go even further into their field of econo-physics, a field that is changing the way we view the financial markets. Each page is packed with more ideas than most people put into an entire book. An inspirational book to be studied carefully and savoured.' Paul Wilmott

Risk control and derivative pricing have become of major concern to financial institutions, and there is a real need for adequate statistical tools to measure and anticipate the amplitude of the potential moves of the financial markets. Summarising theoretical developments in the field, this 2003 second edition has been substantially expanded. Additional chapters now cover stochastic processes, Monte-Carlo methods, Black-Scholes theory, the theory of the yield curve, and Minority Game. There are discussions on aspects of data analysis, financial products, non-linear correlations, and herding, feedback and agent based models. This book has become a classic reference for graduate students and researchers working in econophysics and mathematical finance, and for quantitative analysts working on risk management, derivative pricing and quantitative trading strategies.

Foreword
Preface
1. Probability theory: basic notions
2. Maximum and addition of random variables
3. Continuous time limit, Ito calculus and path integrals
4. Analysis of empirical data
5. Financial products and financial markets
6. Statistics of real prices: basic results
7. Non-linear correlations and volatility fluctuations
8. Skewness and price-volatility correlations
9. Cross-correlations
10. Risk measures
11. Extreme correlations and variety
12. Optimal portfolios
13. Futures and options: fundamental concepts
14. Options: hedging and residual risk
15. Options: the role of drift and correlations
16. Options: the Black and Scholes model
17. Options: some more specific problems
18. Options: minimum variance Monte-Carlo
19. The yield curve
20. Simple mechanisms for anomalous price statistics
Index of most important symbols
Index.

Subject Areas: Statistical physics [PHS], Probability & statistics [PBT], Finance [KFF]